Between the major software overhaul in November, a mystery announcement next week, and the introduction of Nook to the all-powerful Walmart ecosystem, it looks like Barnes and Noble might be making the ebook reader race interesting just in time for the holidays. The Kindle competitor will be sold in 2,500 Walmart stores and Walmart.com starting October 24th.

A substantial firmware improvement is set to arrive on Barnes & Noble's Nook next month,…
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BARNES & NOBLE ANNOUNCES AWARD-WINNING NOOK™ EBOOK READER WILL BE SOLD AT WALMART

NOOK Devices to Be Sold in Walmart Stores and on Walmart.com Beginning Next Week

New York, NY – October 21, 2010 – Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world's largest bookseller, today announced its award-winning NOOK eBook Reader will be sold in 2,500 Walmart stores (NYSE: WMT) and online at www.walmart.com. The popular NOOK devices are expected to arrive on Walmart shelves beginning as soon as October 24, in advance of the holiday shopping season.

The NOOK eBook Readers will be prominently featured as the premier eBook Reader in the consumer electronics area. Many Walmart stores will feature a NOOK-branded eReading area where shoppers can see and touch a demonstration device.

Walmart will offer both great choice and value with two NOOK by Barnes & Noble eBook Reader models — NOOK 3G, which offers free AT&T 3G wireless and Wi-Fi connectivity, as well as NOOK Wi-Fi, a Wi-Fi only model. Both offer a crisp, paper-like E-Ink display for reading and a beautiful color touch screen for navigation, and access to shop the Barnes & Noble expansive eBookstore with more than one million eBooks, magazines and newspapers, most available for $9.99 or less and more than half a million free titles. Digital content from Barnes & Noble is downloaded wirelessly in seconds. NOOK devices are also the only to offer sharing of eBooks with friends through Barnes & Noble's breakthrough LendMe™ technology.

"Sales of NOOK devices continue to exceed our expectations, and we are thrilled to be able to partner with Walmart, one of the world's greatest retailers, to expand the distribution of our award-winning NOOK eBook Reader," said Chris Peifer, Vice President, Digital Business Development at Barnes & Noble. "Walmart's millions of shoppers will have an easy and convenient way to try NOOK devices in many stores and to learn why NOOK is the most full-featured eReading device on the market, and the perfect gift solution for anyone who loves to read."